The General Assembly today demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, reiterated its demand for the immediate release of all hostages and demanded that Israel allow the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to proceed with its aid operations without restriction in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Highlighting the dire humanitarian condition in the Gaza Strip, delegates underscored the urgent need to put an end to the conflict and for measures to contain the civilian population’s suffering, as the General Assembly today resumed its tenth emergency special session on illegal Israeli actions in Occupied Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. (For background, see Press Release GA/12625.)
The General Assembly today emphasized that a two-State solution remains the “only path to lasting peace” in the Middle East, adopting three resolutions to advance this goal, with speakers overwhelmingly urging a Gaza ceasefire and pressing Israel to permit food and aid deliveries into the enclave ahead of the cold winter months.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, delivered by Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, at the Ministerial Conference to Enhance the Humanitarian Response in Gaza, in Cairo today:
In Myanmar, where the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate, a record 3.4 million people are now internally displaced, according to UN figures. The 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which calls for nearly $1 billion, is only one-third funded. The UN appeals to Member States to urgently contribute funds.
In Haiti, as the security situation deteriorates, essential UN personnel from agencies and its political mission remain in Port-au-Prince, ensuring continued delivery of critical humanitarian programmes and assistance and political support to assist Haitian-led efforts to successfully carry out the political transition.
Meeting on the heels of yet another thwarted attempt to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza, the Security Council heard a last time from Tor Wennesland, outgoing Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, who voiced deep frustration over the failure of combined efforts to broker a ceasefire, and urged Council members and Member States to guard against the “unravelling of decades” of hard-fought multilateralism.
In Sudan, the World Food Programme (WFP) reports that since the war began 19 months ago there, the first domestic UN flight travelled today from Port Sudan to Kassala. The WFP-managed flights will now offer regular flights to transport aid workers and light humanitarian cargo from Port Sudan to Kassala once a week.
The Security Council today failed to adopt a text, put forward by its 10 elected members, that called for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and demanded the release of all hostages, on account of a negative vote cast by a permanent member.
In Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that bakeries serving as lifelines for hundreds of thousands of hungry or starving Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are on the verge of shutting down due to lack of flour and fuel. This comes at a time when parts of Gaza are at risk of famine.
